The life of Rev. Henry Martyn : $b Written for the American Sunday School Union, with some account of Abdool Messeeh, a Hindoo convertHall, John
History
The life of Rev. Henry Martyn : $b Written for the American Sunday School Union, with some account of Abdool Messeeh, a Hindoo convert
Hall, John
Abdool Messeeh, 1771 or 1772-1827; Martyn, Henry, 1781-1812
“Our captain was a pupil of Swartz,[7] of whom he communicated many
interesting particulars.—Swartz, with Kolhoff and Jœnicke, kept a
school for half-caste children, about a mile and a half from Tanjore;
but went every night to the Tanjore church, to meet about sixty
or seventy of the king’s regiment, who assembled for devotional
purposes: after which he officiated to their wives and children in
Portuguese. At the school, Swartz used to read, in the morning, out
of the German ‘Meditation for every day in the year;’ at night, he
had family prayer. Jœnicke taught geography; Kolhoff, writing and
arithmetic. They had also masters in Persian and Malabar.
“At the time when the present Rajah was in danger of his life, from
the usurper of his uncle’s throne, Swartz used to sleep in the
same room with him. This was sufficient protection, ‘for (said the
captain,) Swartz was considered by the natives as something more
than mortal.’ The old Rajah, at his death, committed his nephew to
Swartz.”
“_Jan. 27th_ to 31.—Generally unwell. In prayer, my views of my
Saviour have been inexpressibly consolatory. How glorious the
privilege that we exist but in him; without him I lose the principle
of life, and am left to the power of native corruption,—a rotten
branch, a dead thing, that none can make use of. This mass of
corruption, when it meets the Lord, changes its nature, and lives
throughout, and is regarded by God as a member of Christ’s body. This
is my bliss, that Christ is all. Upheld by him, I smile at death.
It is no longer a question about my own worthiness. I glory in God,
through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“_Feb. 18th._—Anchored at Bombay.—This day I finished the thirtieth
year of my unprofitable life; the age at which David Brainerd
finished his course. I am now at the age at which the Saviour of men
began his ministry, and at which John the Baptist called a nation
to repentance. Let me now think for myself, and act with energy.
Hitherto I have made my youth and insignificance an excuse for sloth
and imbecility: now let me have a character, and act boldly for God.”
“_Feb. 24th._—Preached at the Bombay church.”
“_March 25th._—Embarked on board the Benares, Captain Sealy; who,
in company with the Prince of Wales, Captain Hepburn, was ordered to
cruise in the Persian Gulf, against the Arab pirates. We got under
way immediately, and were outside the land before night.”
“_March 31._—The European part of the ship’s crew, consisting of
forty-five sailors and twelve artillerymen, were assembled on the
quarter-deck to hear divine service. I wondered to see so many of
the seamen inattentive; but I afterwards found that most of them
were foreigners, French, Spanish, Portuguese, &c. We had prayers in
the cabin every night. In the afternoon I used to read to a sick man
below, and two or three others would come to hear.”
“_April 21._—Anchored at Muscat, in Arabia
“_May 22._—Landed at Bushire.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account